NEWS

Institutional Review Board seeks community member

August 11, 2014

The Mount Saint Mary College Institutional Review Board (IRB) is
seeking nominations for the position of “Community Member” to serve
on the committee for the 2014-2015 academic year. The term of
service can be extended through June 2017. The deadline for
nominations is August 25, 2014.

The Mount’s IRB is described as follows:

In the realm of human subject research, Mount Saint Mary
College has always expected faculty and students to observe good
professional and ethical practice. In adopting this written policy
statement for human subject research, the Institutional Review
Board (IRB) of Mount Saint Mary College is formalizing its
longstanding expectations and practices to conform with
contemporary norms throughout higher education, and the public as
well as private research community.

In general, the purposes of IRBs are: (1) to review initial
research proposals to ensure that the researchers’ plans provide
subjects with adequate opportunity to provide informed consent for
procedures and (2) to ensure that subjects are not exposed to
unreasonable risks. IRBs also conduct continuing review of approved
long term projects to make certain that subject protections remain
in place. These purposes also support Mount Saint Mary College’s
mission values and curricular goals.

An IRB community member is a volunteer from outside the
organization or institution who serves on the Institutional Review
Board. The community member is usually non-scientific and is not
affiliated with the institution. Community members come from a
variety of backgrounds and are chosen for particular experience,
knowledge, or relationship to the types of studies reviewed by the
IRB. These members often are drawn from the community in which an
institution resides. Former research subjects, patient advocates,
teachers, nurses, members of vulnerable populations, retirees or
experts in multicultural affairs may be sought for IRB service.

Some important notes:

• The community member may not be affiliated with the college or
related to college personnel.

• Attendance at monthly committee meetings is required.

• A mutually agreeable meeting time will be arranged.

• Community members must complete free online training in the
protection of human subjects provided by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).

Please send the names and contact information for local
community members who might be able to serve in this capacity to
Frances R. Spielhagen, Chair of the IRB, 2014-2015, Mount Saint
Mary College, 330 Powell Avenue, Newburgh, New York 12550 (frances.spielhagen@msmc.edu).